Corliss Elizabeth Williams & Amani Olu
The Montauk Club
September 15, 2012
Amani Olu, 32, first spied Corliss Elizabeth Williams, 32, at a singles party in 2009. He didn’t waste any time. “She was talking to another guy, but when he turned away to grab a beer, I just slid right in,” he says. Three years later, Amani, the managing editor of Whitewall, and Corliss, a senior designer at Bloomberg Markets, were wed at Park Slope’s historic Montauk Club. “The space has a lot of character and reflects the vintage-y, old New York feel that we wanted for our wedding. We also live nearby, so we love this neighborhood,” says Corliss. Guests sipped manhattans—a tribute to the bride’s grandmother, who preferred hers with extra cherries—and ate custom Key-lime and raspberry pies made by Butter & Scotch. After dinner and a series of toasts, the dance party kicked into full throttle, with a friend of the couple spinning music from the eighties and nineties. “Everybody was up and sweating,” says Corliss. “I remember the floor was shaking. The wood paneling was shaking. The bartenders were bopping their heads to the music. It was crazy.”
The Details
Dress: Paradiso at Le Salon Bridal Boutique, Birmingham, Mich.
Violinist: Tom Swafford
Cake: Deborah Lauren at City Sweets & Confections
Photographs: Bellamy Blue Weddings
“Amani grew up break-dancing, and all my girlfriends love to dance. Our families are not shy when it comes to getting out on the floor.” Photo: Bellamy Blue Weddings
“Jumping the broom is an African tradition where the bride and groom sweep away their former single lives and jump over as man and wife.” Photo: Bellamy Blue Weddings
“My veil was custom-made by Bridal Veil Falls. They incorporated vintage fabric flowers from a headband my grandmother wore in the twenties or thirties.” Photo: Bellamy Blue Weddings
“When I heard the violinist play, I thought, Okay, it’s starting. The rest of the day went by so fast.” Photo: Bellamy Blue Weddings
